Could UFC champ Tom Aspinall become the latest superstar...in the WWE?

The 31-year-old from Atherton, who trains at Wigan's Robin Park, remains the UFC interim world heavyweight champion, following his destruction of Sergei Pavlovich last November at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Aspinall defended that title in July at Manchester's new Co-op Live, seeing off American Curtis Blaydes inside 60 seconds after unleashing a flurry of devastating punches.

And he was back in the same arena in midweek, during a WWE event, in front of his hometown public.

Aspinall was invited into the ring along with wrestlers Gunther and Cody Rhodes, who were there to promote a forthcoming match at WWE pay-per-view.

After a predictable skirmish between the two wrestlers, Aspinall posed with his UFC belt...before revealing his appearance in the WWE may not have been a one-time-only deal.

“When I have retired from MMA, I’m switching over to WWE,” Aspinall told assembled journalists. “And I’m going to be the WWE heavyweight champ!”

His claims may not be all that far-fetched, with a number of high-profile athletes - including Brock Lesnar, CM Punk and Ronda Rousey - having starred in both promotions.

Indeed, the two global sports entertainment powerhouses merged last year in a $21.4billion deal.

Aspinall, meanwhile, remains frustrated in his attempts to become unified world champion in UFC.

He's been named as the back-up fighter for the Jon Jones vs Stipe Miocic clash in Madison Square Garden on November 16 - which could be the last for both the fighters.

World champion Jones, whose injury allowed Aspinall to step up and claim the interim title last year, insists the fight will be 'more than likely' his last.

Which Aspinall feels is just more games from a fighter he believes does not want to get in the octagon with a younger, hungrier opponent.

“I have no idea," said Aspinall on the 'The Ariel Helwani Show’, when asked what was going on. "The guy seems a little bit weird to me.”

When asked to expand on his comments, Aspinall continued: “Because we’re talking about Jon, I think it’s pretty obvious. There’s been some stuff that he’s done over the years that isn’t normal behaviour.”